WO2014181408A1

WO2014181408A1 - Connector

Info

Publication number: WO2014181408A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/062969
Authority: WO
Inventors: 宣仁橋本; 中島　章; 茂人片岡; 直孝谷川
Original assignee: 住友電装株式会社
Priority date: 2013-05-08
Filing date: 2013-05-08
Publication date: 2014-11-13
Also published as: JP6015854B2; KR101723327B1; JPWO2014181408A1; KR20150135507A

Abstract

This invention provides a connector that makes it possible to avoid increasing the size and complexity of a slider (60). Said connector is provided with a housing (10), said housing having a bendable locking arm (17), and a slider (60). Said slider (60) is incorporated into the housing (10) so as to be able to move, has a catching part (76) that can catch on the housing (10), and has a constraining part (78). The catching part (76) and said constraining part (78) constitute a single unit. While the housing (10) is in the process of fitting together with an opposing housing (90), the catching part (76) catches on this housing (10), constraining the movement of the slider (60). When the housings (10, 90) have been fitted together fully, the opposing housing (90) presses on the catching part (76), releasing the catching part (76) from this housing (10) and allowing the slider (60) to move, and the constraining part (78) enters the space through which the abovementioned locking arm (17) passes when bending, thereby constraining the bending motion of the locking arm (17).

Description

connector

The present invention relates to a connector.

The connector described in Patent Document 1 includes a housing having a flexible lock arm and a slider that is movably assembled to the housing and has a positioning locking portion and a deflection preventing rib.

The housing can be fitted into the mating housing, and the flexible lock arm elastically locks the mating portion of the mating housing during normal fitting, so that both housings are held in the mated state. Yes. Also, in the fitting process of both housings, the positioning locking portion locks the lock arm to restrict the movement of the slider, and when both housings are properly fitted, the slider is pressed by the counterpart housing to lock the positioning locking portion. The state is released and the slider is moved forward.

Further, the bending prevention rib is formed at the rear end of the slider. In the fitting process of the two housings, the bending prevention rib is located behind the rear end of the bending space of the lock arm, and when the two housings are properly fitted, the bending prevention rib enters the bending space of the lock arm as the slider advances. As a result, the bending operation of the lock arm is regulated.

Japanese Patent No. 3810285

By the way, in the above configuration, since the positioning locking portion and the bending prevention rib are formed in different parts of the slider, there is a concern that the configuration of the slider becomes complicated and the size of the slider increases.

The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector that can avoid an increase in size and complexity of a slider.

The present invention provides a housing having a bendable lock arm that can be fitted to a mating housing and elastically locks the mating housing and holds both housings in a mating state during normal mating. It has a locking part that is movably assembled and can be locked to the housing, and has a regulating part that is integrated with the locking part. The movement is restricted by being locked to the housing, and when the two housings are normally fitted, the locking portion is pressed against the counterpart housing to release the locked state with the housing, and the movable portion can be moved. The restricting portion includes a slider that enters the bending space of the lock arm and restricts the bending operation of the lock arm.

Since the locking part that restricts the movement of the slider during the fitting process of both housings is integrated with the restriction part that restricts the bending operation of the lock arm when the two housings are properly fitted, the locking part and the restriction part are The structure of the slider is simplified and the increase in size of the slider can be suppressed as compared with the case where the slider is formed in separate parts.

It is a top view of the connector concerning Example 1 of this invention and arrange | positioned facing the other party connector. It is a top view of the connector normally fitted by the other party connector. It is a bottom view of the connector arranged facing the mating connector. It is a bottom view of the connector normally fitted to the mating connector. It is sectional drawing of the connector arrange | positioned facing a mating connector. It is sectional drawing of the connector in the state in the middle of being fitted by the other party connector. It is sectional drawing of the connector in the state normally fitted by the other party connector and the compression state of the spring member was cancelled | released. It is sectional drawing of the connector in the state which was pressed by the spring member and the slider moved back. FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional view of the connector in the state of FIG. 5. It is another sectional drawing of the connector in the state of FIG. FIG. 9 is another cross-sectional view of the connector in the state of FIG. 8. FIG. 6 is still another cross-sectional view of the connector in the state of FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is still another cross-sectional view of the connector in the state of FIG. 8. It is a front view of a connector. It is a front view of a housing. It is a top view of a housing. It is a top view of a slider. It is a bottom view of a slider. It is a side view of a slider. It is a front view of a slider.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown below.
A spring member that is elastically compressed by being pressed against the mating housing in the fitting process of the two housings, and is released toward the natural state by releasing the compression state as the two housings are normally fitted. The spring member is maintained in a compressed state when the locking portion is locked to the housing, and the spring member is extended when the locking portion is released from the locking state with the housing. To forcibly move the slider. This eliminates the need to manually perform the slider movement operation. Further, the engaging portion is engaged with the housing in the process of fitting the two housings, so that the urging force of the spring member can be resisted.

After the compressed state is released, the spring member extends rearward in the pressing direction of the mating housing, and the slider also moves rearwardly, and the rear end of the lock arm is engaged with the rear end of the lock arm. A release operation portion that is pressed when releasing the stop state is formed, and in the fitting process of the two housings, the restricting portion is located at a position facing the front portion of the lock arm relative to the release operation portion. When the two housings are properly fitted, the restricting portion reaches a position facing the release operation portion. According to this, the restricting portion does not protrude from the housing in the entire range in which the slider moves, and a situation in which foreign matter such as an electric wire is caught on the restricting portion is avoided.

When the two housings are separated, the slider moves forward in a state where both the housings are properly fitted, so that the restricting portion is removed from a position facing the release operation portion, and the lock arm is bent. The slider is formed with a pair of protective walls, and is arranged so that both protective walls cover both sides of the release operation portion when the two housings are properly fitted. Therefore, in a state where both housings are properly fitted, the lock arm is not bent and deformed by the restricting portion unless the slider is moved forward, and the release operation to the release operating portion is also restricted by the two protective walls. Therefore, a situation where the lock arm is inadvertently released is surely avoided.

<Example 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The connector of the present invention includes a housing 10 that can be fitted into a mating housing 90, a slider 60 that is movably assembled to the housing 10, and a spring member 80 that is supported by the slider 60. In the following description, with respect to the front-rear direction, the left side of FIG. 1 is the front, and the vertical direction is based on FIG.

The mating housing 90 is made of a synthetic resin and has a cylindrical hood portion 91 as shown in FIG. A male tab 95 projects from the hood portion 91. A lock portion 92 projects from the upper surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 91. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of guide protrusions 93 are formed on the upper surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 91 so as to extend in the front-rear direction on both sides in the width direction across the lock portion 92. A pair of pressing portions 94 are formed on both sides of the guide protrusion 93 so as to extend in the front-rear direction.

The housing 10 is also made of synthetic resin, and has a block-shaped housing main body 11 and a cylindrical fitting cylindrical portion 12 surrounding the housing main body 11 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 15. Yes. Between the housing main body 11 and the fitting cylinder part 12, the fitting space 13 in which the hood part 91 can be fitted is opened forward.

As shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of cavities 14 are formed in the housing body 11 so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction. In the case of this embodiment, the cavities 14 are arranged side by side and in pairs, and a lance 15 that can be bent is formed on the lower surface thereof so as to protrude. A terminal fitting 20 is inserted into each cavity 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal fitting 20 is crimped and connected to a conductor portion of the electric wire 100 and is crimped and connected to a rubber plug 200 fitted to the electric wire 100. When the terminal fitting 20 is properly inserted into each cavity 14, the terminal fitting 20 is elastically locked to the lance 15 to prevent it from coming off, and the rubber plug 200 is inserted into the rear end of the cavity 14. Thus, the inside of the cavity 14 is sealed in a liquid-tight manner, and the electric wire 100 is drawn out from the rear end of the housing body 11.

As shown in FIG. 5, a step 16 is formed at approximately the center in the front-rear direction of the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11, and the front region with the step 16 as a boundary is lowered by one step from the rear region. A seal ring 300 is fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11 in front of the step 16. As shown in FIG. 6, when the

housings

10 and 90 are fitted, the hood portion 91 enters the fitting space 13, and the seal ring 300 is elastically compressed between the hood portion 91 and the housing body 11. As a result, both

housings

10 and 90 are sealed in a liquid-tight manner.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 14, a cap-shaped front member 400 is put on the front end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11. The front surface of the housing body 11 is covered with a front member 400 except for portions corresponding to the cavities 14. Further, the seal ring 300 is restricted from being pulled forward by the front member 400.

As shown in FIG. 8, a lock arm 17 is connected to the upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11. The lock arm 17 includes a leg portion 18 that protrudes upward from a central portion in the front-rear direction of the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body 11, and an arm main body 19 that extends in both front-rear directions from the upper end of the leg portion 18. A lock protrusion 21 projects downward from the front end of the arm body 19, and a release operation section 22 is formed one step higher at the rear end of the arm body 19. The release operation part 22 is located above the upper end of the fitting cylinder part 12.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the fitting process of the two

housings

10, 90, the lock projection 21 interferes with the lock portion 92, and the arm body 19 is bent and deformed with the leg portion 18 as a fulcrum, as shown in FIG. When the two

housings

10 and 90 are properly fitted, the arm body 19 is elastically restored and the lock projection 21 is disposed so as to be able to lock the lock portion 92, so that both the

housings

10 and 90 are held in the fitted state. It is like that. On the other hand, when releasing the fitting state of both the

housings

10 and 90, the release operation part 22 is pressed from above to separate the lock protrusion 21 from the lock part 92, thereby pulling the both

housings

10 and 90 apart from each other. It is possible.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, a retaining portion 23 for restricting the slider 60 from coming out backward is formed at the front end portion of the upper surface of the arm body 19. The retaining portion 23 has a rib shape extending in the width direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, a through hole 24 is formed in the center of the leg portion 18 in the width direction. The upper end of the through hole 24 is located at substantially the same height as the lower end of the arm body 19, and the lower end of the through hole 24 is located above the upper surface of the housing body 11. As shown in FIG. 8, below the through hole 24 in the leg portion 18, a latch receiving portion 25 having a stepped shape with the housing body 11 is formed behind the step 16. As shown in FIG. 6, a locking portion 76, which will be described later, of the slider 60 can be passed through the through hole 24, and a locking protrusion, which will be described later, of the locking portion 76 that penetrates the through hole 24. 77 can be locked.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a portion of the upper wall of the fitting cylinder portion 12 that faces the lock arm 17 is open, and the upper surface of the lock arm 17 is exposed. Here, the upper wall of the fitting tube portion 12 has a pair of guide walls 26 on both sides of the lock arm 17. Both guide walls 26 are configured to extend from the front end of the housing main body 11 to a rear position from the rear end of the housing main body 11, and a guide space 27 for guiding the moving operation of the slider 60 is formed between the guide walls 26. ing.

The rear portions of both guide walls 26 have a substantially quarter arc-shaped cross section opened upward, and have a rear end portion 28 that protrudes rearward from the rear end of the housing body 11 as shown in FIG. . An escape recess 29 is cut out between the rear end portions 28 of the guide walls 26. The front end of the escape recess 29 is defined in a straight shape along the width direction by the rear end of the housing body 11, and both ends in the width direction of the escape recess 29 are directed rearward by the inner edges of the rear end portions 28 of both guide walls 26. It is partitioned into a taper shape that expands. A finger (not shown) as a pushing means can enter the escape recess 29 from behind.

The front portions of both guide walls 26 have a substantially semicircular arc cross-sectional shape with the side facing the lock arm 17 open. Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a pair of guide ribs 31 are raised and formed at the front portions of both guide walls 26. Both guide ribs 31 are configured to extend in the front-rear direction so as to follow the inner edges of both guide walls 26, and are disposed to face both ends in the width direction of the front portion of the arm body 19.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, a pair of stopper walls 32 that block the front of the guide space 27 are connected to the front ends of both guide walls 26. As shown in FIG. 9, a pair of inner guide walls 33 are formed at the lower ends of both stopper walls 32 so as to extend rearward. The inner guide wall 33 has a circular arc shape in cross section and is disposed substantially parallel to the guide wall 26. Between the inner guide wall 33 and the guide wall 26, a front portion of a later-described spring accommodating portion 65 of the slider 60 is inserted and can be guided. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the forward end of the slider 60 is restricted by the front end of the spring accommodating portion 65 coming into contact with the stopper wall 32.

Next, the slider 60 will be described. The slider 60 is inserted into the guide space 27 of the housing 10, and is moved forward (positions shown in FIGS. 1, 5 to 7, 9, 10, and 12) and retracted (see FIGS. 4, 8, 11, and 13), while being slidable along the guide wall 26, it is assembled so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the slider 60 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 17, a plate-like base portion 61 extending in the width direction and a pair of arm portions extending forward from both width direction ends of the base portion 61. 62 and a connecting portion 63 that spans between the front ends of both arm portions 62.

The connecting portion 63 is located above the base portion 61, and is arranged in a step so as not to overlap the base portion 61 in a front view as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, a retainer receiving portion 64 that is recessed in a substantially rectangular shape is cut out at the center in the width direction of the rear end of the connecting portion 63. As shown in FIG. 2, the retaining portion 23 of the lock arm 17 is inserted inside the retaining portion 64 when the slider 60 is in the retracted position.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 20, a spring accommodating portion 65 capable of accommodating the spring member 80 is formed at the lower portion of both arm portions 62.
The spring member 80 is formed of a well-known spring such as a compression coil spring and is elastically extendable in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 9, a first region 82 that is supported opposite to the first spring receiving portion 67 in a state where the spring member 80 is accommodated in the spring accommodating portion 65 is disposed on the upper front end of the spring member 80. A second region 83 that is exposed without facing the first spring receiving portion 67 in a state where the spring member 80 is accommodated in the spring accommodating portion 65 is disposed at the lower front end of the spring member 80.

The spring accommodating portion 65 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the whole spring member 80 can be accommodated therein. As shown in FIG. 18, an opening portion 66 that is open downward and inward is formed in the front portion of the peripheral wall of the spring accommodating portion 65, and the second region 83 of the spring member 80 is exposed to the opening portion 66. Has been placed. In the fitting process of both the

housings

10 and 90, the pressing portion 94 of the mating housing 90 enters the opening 66, and the second region 83 of the spring member 80 is pressed by the pressing portion 94.

The spring accommodating portion 65 is formed with a pair of

spring receiving portions

67 and 68 capable of receiving and supporting both front and rear ends of the spring member 80 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the two

spring receiving portions

67 and 68 include a first spring receiving portion 67 (the other spring receiving portion) disposed at a position retracted slightly rearward from the front end of the spring accommodating portion 65. And a second spring receiving portion 68 (one spring receiving portion) disposed at the rear end of the spring accommodating portion 65. Of the spring accommodating portion 65, a portion in front of the first spring receiving portion 67 is a projecting piece portion 69 having an arcuate cross section, and as shown in FIG. 9, the slider 60 is assembled to the housing 10, The inner guide wall 33 and the guide wall 26 are slidably inserted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first spring receiving portion 67 can be brought into contact with the first region 82 that is the upper front end of the spring member 80, and as shown in FIG. 20, Are arranged along. A lower portion of the first spring receiving portion 67 constitutes a front end opening of the opening portion 66, and a pressing portion 94 is introduced into the opening portion 66 from here. As shown in FIG. 9, a first protrusion 71 to which the front end of the spring member 80 is fitted is formed on the rear surface of the first spring receiving portion 67. The first protrusion 71 protrudes rearward along the central portion of the spring accommodating portion 65 at the lower end of the first spring receiving portion 67, and the rear end thereof has a pointed shape.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the second spring receiving portion 68 can be brought into contact with the lower end of the rear end of the spring member 80, and is arranged along the lower portion of the peripheral wall of the spring accommodating portion 65 as shown in FIG. Has been. As shown in FIG. 9, a second protrusion 72 to which the rear end of the spring member 80 is fitted is formed on the front surface of the second spring receiving portion 68 so as to protrude forward. The second protrusion 72 protrudes forward at the upper end of the second spring receiving portion 68 so as to follow the center portion of the spring accommodating portion 65, and the front end thereof has a pointed shape.

Here, the lower end of the first spring receiving portion 67 and the upper end of the second spring receiving portion 68 are located at the center of the spring accommodating portion 65 having substantially the same height. For this reason, the 1st spring receiving part 67 and the 2nd spring receiving part 68 have the positional relationship which does not mutually overlap in front view and back view (refer FIG. 20). In other words, the first spring receiving portion 67 and the second spring receiving portion 68 are arranged at positions deviating from each other's projection plane in the front-rear direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 20, a pair of protective walls 73 that rise substantially vertically from the spring accommodating portion 65 is formed on both arm portions 62. When the slider 60 is assembled to the housing 10, both the protective walls 73 are positioned at the same height as the upper surface of the release operation unit 22 as shown in FIG. It arrange | positions so that the width direction both ends of the lock arm 17 may be covered.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, a pair of guide main bodies 74 capable of guiding the moving operation of the slider 60 are formed at the upper end portions of the both arm portions 62. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the guide main body 74 has a substantially arcuate shape that protrudes outward from the upper ends of both protective walls 73 and then hangs downward. When the slider 60 is assembled to the housing 10, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, the guide rib 31 is inserted between the guide body 74 and the protective wall 73 in a fitted state, and as shown in FIGS. In the moving process of the slider 60, the guide rib 31 slides on the guide main body 74 and the protective wall 73 so that the moving operation of the slider 60 is guided.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19, a push operation portion 75 is formed at the rear ends of both arm portions 62 so as to incline upward in a stepwise manner from the rear ends toward the front. When the pushing operation unit 75 is pressed forward, the slider 60 can move toward the forward movement position.

As shown in FIG. 17, the base portion 61 is formed with a locking portion 76 that can restrict the movement of the slider 60 to the retracted position. The locking portion 76 is configured to protrude in a cantilevered manner from the center in the width direction on the upper surface of the base portion 61, and can be bent and deformed in the vertical direction with a base end portion connected to the upper surface of the base portion 61 as a fulcrum. . As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a locking projection 77 is formed on the front end of the locking portion 76 so as to protrude downward. As shown in FIG. 5, when the slider 60 is in the forward movement position, the locking protrusion 77 is hooked and locked to the locking receiving portion 25.

Further, as shown in FIG. 17, a restricting portion 78 is formed integrally with the locking portion 76 on the upper surface of the locking portion 76. As shown in FIG. 5, the restricting portion 78 has a build-up shape that increases in thickness from the base end portion of the locking portion 76 to the substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. The upper surface of the restricting portion 78 has a flat portion that can come into contact with the lower surface of the release operation portion 22 of the lock arm 17 in the retracted position. In addition, since the restricting portion 78 is formed on the proximal end side of the locking portion 76, the rigidity of the locking portion 76 is enhanced.

The structure of the connector of the present embodiment is as described above. Next, the connector assembly method and fitting operation will be described.
First, the spring member 80 is accommodated in the spring accommodating portion 65 of the slider 60. The spring member 80 is inserted into the spring accommodating portion 65 through the opening portion 66. Then, the first region 82 at the front end of the spring member 80 is fitted and supported by the first protrusion 71 of the first spring receiving portion 67, and the rear end of the spring member 80 is the second protrusion 72 of the second spring receiving portion 68. (See FIG. 9).

Subsequently, the slider 60 is inserted into the guide space 27 of the housing 10 from the rear. In the insertion process of the slider 60, the base 61 is disposed below the release operation unit 22, the protective wall 73 enters the gap between the guide wall 26 and the lock arm 17, and the connecting portion 63 is connected to the arm body 19. (See FIGS. 1 and 5). When the slider 60 is normally inserted, the locking portion 76 passes through the through hole 24, and the locking projection 77 is disposed so as to be able to lock the locking receiving portion 25 as shown in FIG. The back is prevented from coming off. Further, when the slider 60 is properly inserted, as shown in FIG. 9, the projecting piece 69 of the spring accommodating portion 65 is disposed so as to be able to contact the stopper wall 32, and the forward displacement of the slider 60 is restricted. The Thus, the slider 60 is held in the movement restricted state at the forward position with respect to the housing 10.

When the slider 60 is in the forward movement position, the spring member 80 is maintained in the extended state in which the front and rear ends thereof are supported by the first spring receiving portion 67 and the second spring receiving portion 68 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the lower side of the front end is arranged to be exposed forward. As shown in FIG. 1, when the slider 60 is in the forward movement position, the front end of the connecting portion 63 is disposed along the width direction at substantially the same position as the front end of the housing 10, and the rear end of the base portion 61 is released. It is arranged along the width direction at substantially the same position as the front end of the recess 29. For this reason, when the slider 60 is in the advanced position, as shown in FIG. 1, when the connector is viewed from above, the connecting portion 63 and both arm portions 62 are exposed, so that the slider 60 can be visually recognized. As shown in FIG. 3, when the connector is viewed from below, the slider 60 cannot be visually recognized because the entire slider 60 is hidden by the housing 10. When the slider 60 is in the forward position, when the connector is viewed from the side, the lock arm 17 is hidden by the protective wall 73 and the guide main body 74 except for the release operation portion 22. Furthermore, in the forward movement position, the restricting portion 78 is positioned in front of the release operation portion 22 in the lock arm 17 so that the bending operation of the lock arm 17 is possible.

Subsequently, the hood portion 91 of the mating housing 90 is fitted into the fitting space 13 of the housing 10. In the fitting process, the pressing portion 94 of the mating housing 90 enters the inside of the spring accommodating portion 65 through the opening portion 66, and the pressing portion 94 comes into contact with the second region 83 at the lower front end of the spring member 80. When the fitting further proceeds, as shown in FIG. 10, the second region 83 of the spring member 80 is pushed by the pressing portion 94, and the first region 82 at the upper front end of the spring member 80 is moved from the first spring receiving portion 67. The spring members 80 are separated and elastically compressed in the front-rear direction in a state where the spring members 80 are supported by the second spring receiving portions 68.

When the housing 10 is properly fitted to the mating housing 90, as shown in FIG. 11, the lock arm 17 is elastically locked to the lock portion 92, and both the

housings

10 and 90 are held in a retaining state. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, the terminal fitting 20 is electrically connected to the male tab 95 properly. Further, as the two

housings

10 and 90 are properly fitted, as shown in FIG. 7, the front end of the hood portion 91 comes into contact with the front end of the locking portion 76, and the locking portion 76 is bent upward and deformed. To move away from the latch receiving portion 25. As a result, the locked state of the locking portion 76 is released, and the urging force stored in the spring member 80 is released, so that the spring member 80 extends rearward. Then, as the spring member 80 extends, the second spring receiving portion 68 is pressed by the extending spring member 80, and the entire slider 60 is moved rearward as shown in FIG. In the movement process of the slide, the spring accommodating portion 65 slides on the inner surface of the guide wall 26, and the guide rib 31 slides on the protective wall 73 and the guide main body 74, whereby the movement operation of the slider 60 is guided. As shown in FIG. 11, when the slider 60 reaches the retracted position, the spring member 80 is substantially stretched in a substantially natural state, and the retaining portion 23 of the lock arm 17 is removed from the slider 60. Abutting on the stop receiving portion 64, the further backward movement of the slider 60 is thereby restricted.

When the slider 60 is in the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 8, the restricting portion 78 is disposed so as to be able to contact the lower surface of the release operation portion 22 of the lock arm 17. When the slider 60 is in the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 2, the protective wall 73 and the guide main body 74 are disposed at positions facing the both sides in the width direction of the release operation unit 22. For this reason, when the connector is viewed from the side when the slider 60 is in the retracted position, the entire lock arm 17 is hidden behind the protective wall 73 and the guide wall 26 and cannot be viewed.

In the above case, even if a foreign object (including a finger) accidentally comes into contact with the release operation unit 22 of the lock arm 17 from above, the release operation unit 22 is Inadvertent release operations are prevented. Even if a foreign object enters between the protective walls 73 and comes into contact with the release operation unit 22, the bending operation of the lock arm 17 is regulated by the regulation unit 78, so the release operation unit 22 is inadvertent. The release operation is more reliably prevented.

Further, when the slider 60 is in the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear end of the base 61 is disposed along the width direction at substantially the same position as the rear end of the escape recess 29, that is, the rear end of the housing 10. . As a result, the base 61 faces the escape recess 29, and in detail, the entire escape recess 29 is blocked by the base 61. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the connector is viewed from below, the base 61 is exposed through the escape recess 29 and the slider 60 can be visually recognized. In the case of the present embodiment, the slider 60 and the housing 10 are provided with different color schemes, thereby ensuring better visibility.

By the way, if the fitting operation is stopped before the two

housings

10 and 90 are properly fitted, the pressing portion 94 is pushed back by the urging force of the spring member 80 accumulated during the fitting process. , 90 are separated from each other. This prevents both

housings

10 and 90 from being left in a semi-fitted state.

Further, when the two

housings

10 and 90 are separated from each other due to maintenance or the like, a finger is made to enter the escape recess 29 from the rear, the pushing operation portion 75 is pushed with the finger, and the slider 60 is pushed forward. Like that. Then, the spring member 80 is elastically compressed, and the pressing portion 94 is pressed by the spring member 80. As the slider 60 moves forward, the restricting portion 78 is retracted from below the release operation portion 22, and both protective walls 73 are retracted from both sides of the release operation portion 22 of the lock arm 17. Are allowed to bend. In this state, when the release operation portion 22 is pressed to lift the front end portion of the lock arm 17, the lock protrusion 21 is separated from the lock portion 92. As the lock arm 17 is unlocked in this way, the spring member 80 extends while pressing the pressing portion 94 forward, and the housing 10 is separated from the counterpart housing 90 by the pressing force (biasing force). Become.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the front and rear ends of the spring member 80 are supported by the first spring receiving portion 67 and the second spring receiving portion 68, respectively, and the first spring receiving portion 67 and the second spring are supported. Since both of the receiving portions 68 are provided on the slider 60, it is not necessary to assemble the spring member 80 across the slider 60 side and the housing 10 side, and assembling workability is improved. Further, the configuration on the housing 10 side can be simplified.

In this case, since the first spring receiving portion 67 and the second spring receiving portion 68 are positioned so as not to overlap each other when viewed from the front-rear direction, the first die is pulled by the mold that is pulled out in the front-rear direction when the slider 60 is formed. The spring receiving portion 67 and the second spring receiving portion 68 can be easily formed, the mold structure is not complicated, and the moldability of the slider 60 is improved.

In addition, a restricting portion 78 that restricts the bending operation of the lock arm 17 when the

housings

10 and 90 are normally fitted is integrated with the locking portion 76 that restricts the movement of the slider 60 in the fitting process of the

housings

10 and 90. Therefore, the configuration of the slider 60 is simplified and the increase in the size of the slider 60 is suppressed as compared with the case where the locking portion 76 and the restricting portion 78 are formed in different parts.

Further, when the two

housings

10 and 90 are properly fitted, the slider 60 moves from the forward movement position to the backward movement position, so that the slider 60 moves backward and then moves forward to return to the original position. Easy to check the position. Further, when the two

housings

10 and 90 are properly fitted, the base 61 of the slider 60 appears in the escape recess 29 when viewed from below. By confirming this, the position of the slider 60 is surely confirmed. This improves the reliability of the fitting detection function. In addition, since the escape recess 29 has not only a function for confirming the position but also a function for guiding the finger as the pushing means to the slider 60, the configuration of the housing 10 is more than the case where both functions are provided in separate parts. Simplified.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following aspects are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the above embodiment, the first spring receiving portion and the second spring receiving portion are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction of the end face of the spring member. However, according to the present invention, the first spring receiving portion and The second spring receiving portion may be disposed at a different position in the width direction of the end surface of the spring member.
(2) The relief recess may be one in which a jig or the like enters other than a finger as a pushing means.
(3) A locking recess may be formed in the locking portion in place of the locking projection, and the locking receiving portion may have a protruding shape that can hook and lock the locking recess.
(4) The locking portion is configured to extend from the base end side toward the front with a substantially constant thickness, and the locking portion and the regulating portion are integrated substantially without distinction in form. May be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Housing 17 ... Lock arm 20 ... Terminal metal fitting 22 ... Release operation part 25 ... Locking receiving part 26 ... Guide wall 29 ... Escape recessed part 60 ... Slider 65 ... Spring accommodating part 67 ... First spring receiving part (the other spring receiving part) Part)
68. Second spring receiving portion (one spring receiving portion)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 71 ... 1st protrusion 72 ... 2nd protrusion 73 ... Protection wall 76 ... Locking part 78 ... Restriction part 80 ... Spring member 82 ... 1st area | region 83 ... 2nd area | region 90 ... Counterpart housing 94 ... Pressing part 100 ... Electric wire

Claims

A housing having a bendable lock arm that can be fitted to a mating housing and elastically locks the mating housing during normal fitting to hold both housings in a mated state;
The locking unit is movably assembled to the housing and has a locking part that can be locked to the housing, and has a regulating part that is integrated with the locking part. When the two housings are properly fitted, the movement is restricted, and when the two housings are properly fitted, the locking portion is pressed by the mating housing and the locked state with the housing is released so that the housing can move. The connector further comprises a slider adapted to enter the bending space of the lock arm and restrict the bending operation of the lock arm.
A spring member that is elastically compressed by being pressed against the mating housing in the fitting process of the two housings, and that is released from the compressed state and extends toward the natural state as the two housings are normally fitted together; The spring member is maintained in a compressed state when the locking portion is locked to the housing, and the spring member is extended when the locking portion is released from the locking state with the housing. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the slider is forcibly moved.
After the compressed state is released, the spring member extends rearward in the pressing direction of the mating housing, and the slider also moves rearwardly, and the rear end of the lock arm is engaged with the rear end of the lock arm. A release operation portion that is pressed when releasing the stop state is formed, and in the fitting process of the two housings, the restricting portion is located at a position facing the front portion of the lock arm relative to the release operation portion. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the restricting portion reaches a position facing the release operation portion when the two housings are properly fitted.
When the two housings are separated, the slider moves forward in a state where both the housings are properly fitted, so that the restricting portion is removed from a position facing the release operation portion, and the lock arm is bent. The slider is formed with a pair of protective walls, and when the two housings are properly fitted, both protective walls are arranged so as to cover both sides of the release operation portion. The connector according to claim 3.